Diabetes mellitus and mortality after acute coronary syndrome as a first or recurrent cardiovascular event.
BACKGROUND
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with adverse cardiovascular prognosis. However, the risk associated with DM may vary between individuals according to their overall cardiovascular risk burden. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether DM is associated with poor outcome in patients presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) according to the index episode being a first or recurrent cardiovascular event.


RESULTS
We conducted a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study involving 2499 consecutively admitted patients with confirmed ACS in 11 UK hospitals during 2003. Usual care was provided for all participants. Demographic factors, co-morbidity and treatment (during admission and at discharge) factors were recorded. The primary outcome was all cause mortality (median 2 year follow up), compared for cohorts with and without DM according to their prior cardiovascular disease (CVD) disease status. Adjusted analyses were performed with Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Within the entire cohort, DM was associated with an unadjusted 45% increase in mortality. However, in patients free of a history of CVD, mortality of those with and without DM was similar (18.8% and 19.7% respectively; p = 0.74). In the group with CVD, mortality of patients with DM was significantly higher than those without DM (46.7% and 33.2% respectively; p<0.001). The age and sex adjusted interaction between DM and CVD in predicting mortality was highly significant (p = 0.002) and persisted after accounting for comorbidities and treatment factors (p = 0.006). Of patients free of CVD, DM was associated with smaller elevation of Troponin I (p<0.001). However in patients with pre-existing CVD Troponin I was similar (p = 0.992).


CONCLUSIONS
DM is only associated with worse outcome after ACS in patients with a pre-existing history of CVD. Differences in the severity of myocyte necrosis may account for this. Further investigation is required, though our findings suggest that aggressive primary prevention of CVD in patients with DM may have beneficially modified their first presentation with (and mortality after) ACS.
Cubbon
Richard M
RM
Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Research, Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health & Therapeutics, The LIGHT Laboratories, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Abbas
Afroze
A
Wheatcroft
Stephen B
SB
Kilcullen
Niamh
N
Das
Raj
R
Morrell
Christine
C
Barth
Julian H
JH
Kearney
Mark T
MT
Hall
Alistair S
AS
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood; D006113:United Kingdom
D019210:Troponin I